Reconfigurable computation devices may be used to perform many different functions. Given a variety of possible functions, there may be different control and/or memory requirements for different functions. In particular, a reconfigurable computational device may be capable of implementing various functions that require different parameters and operations. Such a reconfigurable computational device may be configured, for example, by means of control words that may be provided by, for example, a control unit processor or a state machine. As a result of the different parameters and/or operations, these functions may, for example, require different-length control words.
Furthermore, the amount of power used to access memory is proportional to the memory word length. That is, a longer word requires more power to access than a shorter word. Consequently, if one function does not require a word length as long as that of another function, power may be wasted in accessing an entire word having a length required to accommodate all functions.